This is the place where I share my favourite foods; gluten-free, lactose-free and regular home cooking recipes! I also occasionally share my scrapbooking accomplishments!! I endeavor to ensure the recipes I publish are quick, easy to prepare and contain ingredients that you will find in your local grocery stores. ENJOY!

Friday, August 28, 2009

So I am still solidly canning and preserving the bounty of the harvest. I received a ton of carrots (some classic orange and some heirloom purple) in my CSA basket from Cooper's. Since I had used some for pickled coleslaw and various other recipes, and the bagful didn't seem to be getting any smaller, I decided this recipe was just the thing to make good use of these delicious and sweet carrots! The author of the book ("The Complete Book of Pickling" and my current bible right now!), Jennifer MacKenzie, suggests using this relish on top of burgers, or combining it with cooked potatoes and mayonnaise for a quick salad! I look forward to trying both!!

2 cups of finely chopped onions (I did these in the food processor too!)

2 tbsp pickling or canning salt

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

2 tsp celery seeds

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 cups cider vinegar

1 tbsp freshly minced garlic

In a large non-reactive bowl, combine carrots, onions and salt. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

Meanwhile prepare canner, jars and lids.

In a colander lined with cheesecloth, working in batches, drain vegetables and rinse well. Drain again and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside in a colander to continue draining.

In a large pot, combine sugar, celery seeds, thyme, pepper, and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium high and add drained vegetables and garlic; return to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring often for about 15 mins or until vegetables are translucent and mixture is slightly thickened.

Ladle hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/2" headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace as necessary by adding hot relish. Wipe rim and place hot lid disc on jar. Screw band down until fingertip-tight.

Place jars in the canner and return to a boil. Process for 10 mins. Turn off heat and remove canner lid. Let jars stand in water for 5 mins. Transfer jars to a towel-lined surface and let stand for 24 hours. Check lids and refrigerate any jars that are not sealed.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Since it has been such a great year for green beans, we have received tons in our CSA baskets from Cooper's CSA Farm & Maze. I have dilled some, steamed some, frozen some, and given some away...and then I discovered this recipe and all of us fell in love with it! Tonight I am making it again, but omitting the chicken (simply because I haven't thawed any out!), and I know it will still be a big hit!

In a large skillet, bring enough water to reach a depth of 1" to a boil, salt it, add the green beans and cook for 2 mins. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil over high heat until rippling. Add the chicken and cook until golden - 3 to 4 mins. Add the bell peppers and cook until softened, 3 mins. Add the green beans and cook, tossing for 1 minute.

In a bowl, mix together the tamari, honey, hot sauce, mustard and remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth. Pour the sauce over the chicken and the vegetables; toss. Drizzle the sesame oil over the chicken.

Stir the green onions into the rice and fluff with a fork. Serve the chicken over the rice and top with the toasted sesame seeds.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

As I logged in today to the blog I realized that it has been almost a month since my last post?! "What have I been doing with myself?", I asked. And then it hit me - I have been preserving like a woman crazed (if my pantry is anything to go by!)

So thankfully I haven't been exactly slacking! As I am sweating profusely over my steaming canner I hold fast to the vision of friends and family enjoying these summer flavours in the middle of a long and cold winter.

Yesterday I made the Apple,Onion & Ale Relish that I mentioned earlier, and it is so simple and delicious slathered over a crispbread topped with aged cheddar, I just felt I had to share the recipe! The malt and hops from the ale really add depth to this sweet and savoury relish. It comes from my new favourite book "The Complete Book of Pickling" by Jennifer MacKenzie. I picked it up at Costco for $14.99 and it has been an invaluable resource for unique recipes.

In a large non-reactive bowl, combine onions and salt. Cover and let stand at a cool room temperature for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the canner, jars and lids.

In a colander lined with cheesecloth, working in batches, drain and rinse onions well. Drain again and squeeze out excess liquid. Set aside in colander to continue draining.

In a large pot, combine brown sugar, mustard seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg and vinegar. Brint to a boil over medium heat, stirring often until sugar is dissolved.

Increase heat to medium-high and add drained onions, soft apples and ale; return to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring often for about 10 minutes, or until apples start ot break down and mixture is slightly thickened.

Stir in cooking apples and return to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring often to prevent sticking, for about 2 minutes, or until cooking apples just start to soften but don't break down.

Place jars in canner and return to boil. Process for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and remove canner lid. Let jars stand in water for 5 minutes. Transfer jars to a towel-lined surface, and allow to stand for 24 hours. Reprocess any jars that the lids did not seal properly on to.